Destined to Collide - Inumaki Toge

23. Mochi

A special thanks to Amyra31Alma for voting all of Destined to Collide's chapters. Here's an early chapter for you. <3

"Oii!" a familiar voice called from afar.

It was Panda and Maki.

They have come back from their mission and was going to go up to the Learning Hall to meet up with the First Years. A late introduction, but an introduction, nonetheless. Gojo-sensei had gathered them there as requested due to the Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event.

Maguro blinked and repeated the words. "Kyoto Sister School Exchange Event?"

"Ahh, we'll explain it to you later with the First years," Maki said to her, throwing a small burlap bag towards her direction.

The Reverse Cursed Technique user awkwardly tried to catch the burlap bag and only succeeded in bouncing it in her hands without catching it. It was Inumaki who caught it for her and dangled it in front of her.

"Thank you, Inumaki-kun!" Maguro exclaimed with a smile, excitedly grabbing the burlap bag and opening it. "What is it, Maki-san?"

Maki smiled at her coolly. "Gift."

Panda and Maki walked ahead up the stairs towards the Leaning Hall's direction. After a while, they heard Maguro squealed in excitement. Looking back, they saw Maguro jumped happily around Inumaki, showing him the content of the bag joyfully.

"Told you," Panda said to Maki with a proud smile. "Maguro is easily happy over food. Look at the burlap bag you bought her. She didn't even notice it."

Maki sulked all the way up the stairs.

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"What's this?" Maki started, planting both feet firmly on the ground in front of the miserable looking First Years. Both students looked up. "You're looking more glum than usual, Megumi."

"Zenin-senpai," Fushiguro addressed. That got Maki's instant retaliation.

"Don't call me by my last name!" Maki retorted coolly.

Behind her, Panda whispered her name for her attention.

"I'm talking here," Maki snapped.

"Y-you actually don't know why they're so down?" Panda chided in a whisper.

Maki wanted to roll her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Someone really did die yesterday. One of the First-Year boy!" Panda whispered, one finger jutting out to point out "One person had died" yesterday.

Inumaki agreed to that sentiment and said, "Okaka."

After the introduction, Panda and the rest of them Second Years got to get down to their main business.

Business that Maguro didn't know as of yet.

"Talk about that, where is Maguro-senpai?" Fushiguro started, looking around the Second Years.

Maguro was nowhere in sight. Fushiguro and Nobara looked around.

"I'm here," Maguro answered from somewhere near them. Fushiguro looked at Maki and Panda, whilst the both of them had their head turned to look at the person behind the Cursed Speech User.

"Where are you?" Fushiguro started just to spite her. He knew she is there when Maki and Panda looked behind Inumaki.

"That's so mean, Fushiguro," Maguro said with a small frown as she steps out from behind Inumaki's back. "I'm here."

"Ah," Fushiguro had a look of understanding came upon him after looking at Inumaki and chuckled. "Inumaki-senpai is hiding you again, ne?"

"He always does that!" Maguro pouted but recovered quickly as soon as she returned to eating what was in the burlap bag.

It was bite-sized mochi sweets. There is a bit of flour that got stuck at the corner of her mouth. Inumaki couldn't stand looking at it and wiped it off with his thumb.

"Tuna mayo," (There's mochi flour around your mouth) Inumaki said, now resorting to using the back of his fingers to wipe off the flour stain by her mouth.

"Thank you, Inumaki-kun," Maguro muttered her thanks and continued to eat the mochi sweets. Inumaki shakes his head, smiling behind his high collar.

Cute, he thought quietly to himself.

"Inumaki," Maki chided whilst looking at Panda knowingly. "If you want to dote on your Tuna, you need to bring her back to your room."

"Oh, he already does that," Maguro answered nonchalantly, not realizing who she was really answering to whilst continuing to pick the mochi in the bag. It was so good she temporarily forgotten why they were there in the first place.

Silence prevailed.

"WHAT?!" Panda and Maki exclaimed in shock. "Y-you guys! This is expected but so unexpected! Was it because we're out for the mission!?"

Maguro snapped back to reality.

Everyone stared at her incredulously.

Oh, fuck, Maguro thought to herself.

Inumaki merely smiled at her and told her through thought, "Since I can't speak, please do us the honour of explaining, ne?"

Maguro gulped.

"M-my air conditioner sort of...break down yesterday?" Maguro started, looking at Inumaki for guidance. She nodded her head at him to check if what she said is acceptable, and he nodded his. Story matches the situation innocently so far. "A-And none of you were here yesterday...? So Inumaki-kun pitied me then I stayed over in his...room..." Maguro continued, her eyes darting from Panda's massive form and Maki's advancing shadow.

"Okaka!" (That's not pity, Maguro! I couldn't stand and let you use that room during the hot nights of Summer!) Inumaki exclaimed, looking back and forth at Maguro and his teammates.

This is getting nowhere. He quickly fished out his phone, but Maguro's questions beat him into a pulp.

Literally.

"Hot nights of...Summer?" Maguro repeated, inclining her head to the side. Inumaki slapped a hand to his face.

Maki and Panda on the side-line did not waste any time but to jump right onto it. "What hot nights?!" Maki exclaimed, her face a little tinted with pink. Panda nodded, looking excited for the both of them. Maguro couldn't really get why they acted that way.

Suddenly, Maguro is hit with a thought. Did they...guessed? They guessed we're having sex, ne?

She looked at Inumaki.

He stared back at her with a reddened ear tips and nodded.

Fuck, he heard me!

"There were no hot nights," Maguro explained carefully, not wanting to throw out any landmines before the situation cleared. "Inumaki-kun's room were cold-"

"Okaka!" (The hot nights are in your room, Maguro!) Inumaki explained in his thoughts.

"Then why was he protesting?!" Panda pointed towards Inumaki, who then slapped Panda's arm down.

Maguro, being forced into a corner and backed up to a tree, stuttered a reply to Maki's looming face. "I-I...We didn't do anything. We just sleep together."

Nearby, the bell ringed.

"SLEEP TOGETHER!?" Panda, Maki and Fushiguro yelled together.